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` NITEID i STATES It PATENT (Minion.

EEEDEICII AEERLE, `CE EEIDGEPCRT, CONNECTICUT, AsSIeNoE, EY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To FREDERICK ECGE, CE SAME PLACE.

MECHANICAL TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,491, dated December 4, 1883.

' Application filed August 4, 15583.` (No model.)

T0 UZZZ whom, it may concern:

\ Beit known that I, FREDEICK AEERLE, a citizen of Switzerland,`residing at'Bridgeport,

in the county of Fairfield and State of Connec! ticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Toys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to toys, and it has for its object to imitate the running and walking movement of animals. Vith this end in view my invention consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully described, and then specifically designated by the claims.

For the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to understand and use my improved toy, I will proceed to describe the same, referring by letters t0 the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation with one of the side plates partially broken away. Fig. 2 is y a plan view of the operating mechanism, and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line x x in Fig. 1, `showing the manner in which I adjust the throw of the front feet. p v

Similar letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

A A are thc side plates, which may or may not have the outline of the animal the toy is designed to represent. These side plates are held in proper position by cross-pieces BB.

Gis the main shaft, which is journaled in the side plates, and provided with awindingarbor, C. The inner end of the main spring D is attached to this shaft, and the outer end to one of the cross-pieces. y

E is a pinion rigidly `attached to the main shaft. This pinion acts to drive the main wheel F by means of pawl f. H is a shaft likewise journaled in the side plates, and carrying a pinion, h, which meshes with the main wheel, and a gearwheel, H', which meshes with a pinion, Z, on shaft I.

L L are downwardly-projecting levers, the lower ends of which I usually fashion to rep-` resent the front legs of some animal; and L L are other levers, the lower ends of which I vers M operate the hind legs.

fashion to represent the hind legs of an animal. Two eccentrics, H2, (one not shown,) are carried by shaft I-I. These eccentr'ics impart motion to two pairs of rocking levers, Mand 5 5 M. Levers M operate the front legs and le- Upon the outer side of levers M are pins m, which work in slots a in the side plates. These pins act as 1 sliding fulcrums upon which the levers vibrate. 6o

Z Z are pivots which connect levers L (the `front legs) to the forward ends of levers M.

The upper ends of levers L are slotted, and engage with pins Z upon the side plates. It will thus be seen that the rotation of the eccentrics imparts to levers M both a longitudinal reciprocating `and a vibratory motion, and levers M impart a vertical reciprocating and and a vibratory motionY to levers L, (the front legs.) The side pieces are cut away, as 7o shown at N, to allow free movement to pivots Z. Pins Z may be made adj ustable, as shown in Fig. 3, pin, Z passing through a slot in the side plate and having a nut, Z2, to hold it i'n 4the `desired position. The vibration of levers 75 L, which is in fact the throw of the front feet, may be `increased by lessening the distance between pivots Z and pins Z, or decreased by increasing the distance between said pivots and pins. Likewise pins m may be made ad- 8o justable. Should it be desired to increase the vertical movement of levers L, which would 4.be in fact lifting the front feet higher at each step, it could be `done by moving pins m nearer to the eccentrics.

1 Levers M are provided with pins m, which also move in slots a in the side plates. Instead of being pivoted directly to' levers L (the hind legs,) I pivot levers M to secondary levers M2, having pins m", also working in slots 9o a in the side plates. To the rear end of levers M2 are pivoted levers L, (the hind legs.) The effect of the use of the intermediate levers, M2, is to cause one foot on each side to be free from the floor and moving forward while the other foot on the sameside is making the backward movement. Levers L are provided with pins Z, also working Vin slots c in the side plates. It will thus be seen that by means of the eccentrics and 10o the sliding fulcrum-pins m the same motions are imparted to levers M as have been described in connection with levers M-that is to say, these levers have both a longitudinal reciprocating and a vibratory motion. It will also be apparent that levers M' in turn impart eXactly the same motion to levers M2, which in turn impart vertical reciprocating and vibratory motions to levers L', (the hind legs.) The throw of the hind feet may be regulated the same as that of the front feet-that is to say, by altering the distance between pins Z" andthe pivots connecting levers L' with levers M2. The vertical movement of levers L'- that is to say, the distance the hind feet are raised from the ground at each step-may be increased by moving either pins m' or m2 nearer to the pivot connecting levers M' with levers M2', or may be decreased by moving either set of pins farther from said pivots. In assembling the parts they are so timed that the front leg and hindleg upon one side are at their positions nearest together at the time the opposite hind leg and front leg are farthest apart,

the yhind-leg and-the front leg upon each sidev approachingvor receding from cach other at the same time, the front foot going up as the corresponding hind foot goes down, so that one front foot and the opposite hind foot will be free from the floor and movingforward while the backward movement of the other two feet while in'contact with the floor will carry the animal forward a distance equal to the throw vof the feet at each step. The bottoms of the feet, particularly the front feet, should be roughened or covered with rubber pads. I am thus enabled to imitate mechanically'the rising, falling, and forward move ments of the legs of animals in a much simpler andmore natural manner than has ever heretofore been accomplished.

I have also discovered that by using brakes madeof cloth or felt in connection with a rubber f1y=wheel I am able to-control the operation of the train of gearing much more accurately than with metal brakes and without the slightest injury to the iy-wheel. I usually arrangethese parts as follows: wheel I' upon shaftil meshes with a worm upon shaft O, which carries fly-wheel O'.

P P are the brakes, which act upon the periphery of the fiy-wheel. Thesebrakes I make of felt vor cloth, and have found them to -work in a very satisfactory manner, as they do not wear the fly-wheel or wear themselves away.

The body and legs of the toy may be covered with metal, paper, cloth, wood, or any composition having the outlines of the animal the toy is designed to represent.

As the particular animal that my improved toy is fashioned to represent is not material to my invention, I have merely illustrated the operating mechanism, which forms the subject-matter of my invention.

I am aware that mechanical toys have been constructed prior to this invention which imitate to a certain extent the walking or running movements of animals-such, for instance, as illustrated in my former Patent No. 264,426, September 19, 1882, upon which my present invention proves to be a great improvement. y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a mechanical toy, levers operated byeccentricsv and having reciprocating fulcrums, in combination with other levers, which rep resent the legs of animals` and to which the former levers impart a vertical reciprocating and a vibratory motion. y

2. Levers M, operated by eccentrics and having fulcrum-pins m, working in slots inthe side plates, in combination with levers L and pins Z 3.- In a mechanical toy, levers M', in combination with levers M2 and L'.

4. Levers M', having sliding fulcrums m', and pivoted to levers M2, which are provided with sliding fulcrums m2, in combination with levers L', having sliding-fulcrums Z.

5. Shaft H and eccentrics H2, in combination with levers M, M', M2, L, and L', all operating as described, and for the purpose set forth.

. 6. In amechanical toy, fly-wheel O, in combination with brakes l?, made of cloth or similar material.

7. Shaft I-I and eccentrics H2, in combination with a system of levers. as described, and adjustable pins Z' and m, whereby the lifting and the throw of the feet may be regulated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDRICK ABERLE.

Vitn esses A. M. Woosrnn, S. S. VILLIAMsoN.

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